Kenya - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Give MYDAWA $1.2 Million to Fight HIV

24 October 2022
The Exchange Africa
By Wanjiku Njugunah
  • E-pharmacy platform MYDAWA has received US$1.2 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to launch the first Kenyan telehealth solution tailored to HIV prevention
  • MYDAWA said it had developed the first end-to-end virtual healthcare solution for customers who wish to access Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) online
  • Approximately 38 million people around the world are living with HIV, with close to 21 million of them in Eastern and Southern Africa

Kenyan-based e-pharmacy platform MYDAWA has received US$1.2 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to launch the first Kenyan telehealth solution tailored to HIV prevention.

On Monday, October 24, 2022, MYDAWA said it had developed the first end-to-end virtual healthcare solution for customers who wish to access Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) online.

The development received the financial support from the American organisation in partnership with the University of Washington, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Fred Hutch Cancer Research Centre, Jhpiego and Audere.

PrEP is a medicine that can be proactively taken daily by people who are at ongoing risk of acquiring HIV. PEP is a medicine that people can take immediately after possibly being exposed to HIV to reduce the risk of getting HIV.

Data from the platform indicates that approximately 38 million people worldwide are living with HIV, with close to 21 million in Eastern and Southern Africa.

The stigma associated with HIV and the need to visit an HIV clinic for PrEP has been key challenge in the uptake of PrEP. This is particularly apparent among populations who are vulnerable to stigma, such as men who have sex with men and female sex workers. This challenging environment in tackling HIV facilitated the search for a different approach to PrEP initiation through online channels that are more discrete.

The grant of US$1.2m awarded to MYDAWA by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to launch the first end-to-end virtual PrEP/PEP service aims to generate evidence on virtual PrEP and PEP service delivery.

The service has received research approval from the Kenya Medical Research Institute and the University of Washington.

"This grant is an endorsement of MYDAWA's ability and the crucial role the company is playing at the forefront of providing access to simple and affordable self-tests for HIV and pregnancy, alongside an extensive range of sexual and reproductive health products," the company said.

AfyaRekod launches patients' portal

In a related story, AfyaRekod, a Kenyan health start-up, recently unveiled its fully automated universal patient portal that would enable patients and medical professionals to have real-time access to health data and medical history.

The platform, which has over 150,000 users in Kenya, uses block-chain driven technology and hopes to transform the face of patient care across Africa and the world.

Besides Kenya, it operates in Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroon, and Zambia, with over 50 hospitals onboard its B2B product. It will ensure effective ongoing medical management while offering critical, timely information in an emergency.

For providers, the platform has multiple functionalities such as hospital management, patient management, knowledge management and inventory management, as well as artificial intelligence (AI) driven reporting tool that allows organisations to make strategic decisions, predictions and early identification using data analytics.Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other related firms can register and manage their target groups on the platform. AfyaRekod has partnered with the Association of Sisterhoods of Kenya (AOSK), Healthy Mind Foundation (Nigeria), Alchemy (South Africa), AURA (South Africa), Telkom, The Africa Block-Chain Centre, The AI Centre of Excellence, Adamian Labs, and Lishe Living among others.In May 2022, for instance, US-based GE Healthcare and Afya Rekod have entered a strategic collaboration to transform care delivery through improved access to personal health data.Afya Rekod said they would focus on Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, giving patients an accessible record of their health history. The company has a health record management platform built to assist users with better healthcare services.

The access will include radiological images by enabling hospitals and diagnostic centres to host health records securely on one platform through a digital application.

Read the original article on The Exchange.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2022 The Exchange Africa. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 400 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.